4/13/2006 - There's Nothing Like An Afternooner

My buddy Claudette called me and said she had the week off work, so I should get over to Marineland after work today for a quickie. The water looked a little dirty and it was windy, but the waves were down so we jumped in at the Point. Midway through the dive we bagan to notice it seemed to be a bit chilly. It was Fffffffffforty-eight degrees! It hasn't been that cold since last July. Fortunately, we found enough to keep our minds on the dive, somewhat. We found the usual nudis laying eggs on every rock, including Cuthona divae...

White-spotted Porostome...

Limbaugh's Cadlina...

Tritonia festiva...

Hermissenda crassicornis...

Hopkin's Rose...

and Dendronotus iris.

I was ready to make the long surface swim back to the cove just so I could warm up in the Sunlight, but we pushed on. We finally surfaced in front of the beach and had an uneventful exit, which is sometimes a miracle at Marineland. Fortunately it was a nice, warm afternoon. The feelings returned to our fingers and toes by the time we reached the parking lot.